Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

I recently bought a big bag of frozen cherries at Costco because I was going through this massive smoothie phase. I wasn't that crazy about these cherries in smoothie form though so I've been trying to find other ways to use them up. It was warm outside and I was thinking about grilling and the idea of a cherry BBQ sauce popped in my head. I like using fruit in interesting ways and I've done a mango BBQ sauce before so cherry was a good next step. (I plan on doing even more though - especially peach. Yum!) I took an inventory of what I had in the pantry and after writing up a recipe and getting everything cooking, I had a really good sauce that went perfect on our chicken. It had a great balance of tangy and sweet along with a tiny bit of heat and smokiness. I used about a third of what I made on three chicken breasts so there is plenty with this recipe. The rest can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about a month.

I think I'll give this sauce a try on some chops or ribs next time!

Grilled Honey Mustard Pork Chops

Since warmer weather is finally here, I've been working on some new grilling recipes. I've been getting bored with chicken lately so I've turned my focus to pork. We bought a large tenderloin at Costco a few weeks ago and after cutting it up and portioning for a ton of meals, I left a little bit out and cut it into chops. I new I wanted to grill them but it took me a couple days to decide how and with what.

I had written a crock pot recipe for a honey mustard chicken a few days earlier so I decided to adapt it a bit for the pork and the grill. It seemed like the perfect combination. After a few tweaks to my original mustard sauce, I had a glaze that worked great with the fire.

Grilled Shallots with Thyme

I love shallots. They're so cute and have such a wonderfully subtle onion flavor that they're the perfect addition for many dishes. They're best for when you want a hint of onion but don't want to overwhelm things. And because they're so mild in flavor, they work great as a side dish all on their own.

These grilled shallots are fantastic when paired with a grilled steak or even barbecued chicken. You can change up the herbs to compliment your other dishes for a custom taste every time! I added the balsamic for a little tang but you could easily leave it out if you aren't a fan. Or try some red wine vinegar or a little lemon juice for some variations. The sky's the limit here!

Grilled Honey Cider Glazed Pork Chops

I am on fire this grilling season! Well, not literally. That would be a bad thing. Although I did get pretty warm the last time I was out there...

I have so many ideas and my brain is getting overloaded with thoughts of meat and vegetables getting a nice char. From pork to chicken to steak, I've done them all already! They've all been great but these chops were the biggest hit with the boys so far. When first coming up with the recipe, I was trying to think of something slightly sweet. After reviewing some pantry items, I whipped up a little glaze.

Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Kabobs

The post for this recipe will be short, sweet and to the point. Partly because there isn't much to say other than these little chicken bites were deliciously moist and subtly sweet, but mostly because it's very difficult to type when your good hand is bandaged up. If you follow me on Facebook, you may know that I got some lovely second degree burns from a pan on the stove. Yep, put my hand right on the bottom of a pan that was next to a boiling pot of water. And of course, the part I touched was in the flames. Oh boy, right? Pretty careless on my part so I'm now paying the consequences.

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

Chicken is one of those things that is so easy to adapt to your mood of the day. Whether you want some elaborate dinner or something that cooks up in just a few easy, quick steps, you're almost always sure to find what you're looking for.

Since the weather is finally warming up, my mood turned to grilling a few days ago. I didn't feel like having anything heavy, so I went with a spice rub. Not only was it really easy and quick to put together, but I can honestly say this is one of the best grilled chicken dishes I've ever had. Seriously. All the flavors melded wonderfully together and they were all balanced very well. There was a tint of sweetness with a little saltiness and a whole lot of flavor!

Grilled Chicken with Lemon, Honey and Rosemary

I sure hope you've been taking advantage of your grill this summer!

I love the freshness that can be created with a grill. Yeah, I know. That's something that doesn't really make sense to me either. But this chicken was just so...fresh tasting! The honey gave the right amount of sweetness, the lemon added a bright note, and the rosemary was the perfect compliment to everything. It's a really easy and quick chicken recipe that goes great with so many things, especially grilled zucchini and potatoes. And it's a healthy way to prepare chicken so...what's not to love!

Grilled Pineapple

Have you used your grill yet? We've been using ours quite a lot lately. Charring up some food on the grill is a great way to have tasty food that is healthy, too. You don't need a lot of extra fat when you grill so it's a nice way to eat good food and feel good about what you eat.

Apple Butter BBQ Sauce (and Pork Chops)

I canned some homemade apple butter last fall and have quite a bit leftover. I love the stuff, but a person can only eat - and give out - so much. Homemade is really only at it's peak for about a year after it's canned so I really need to use it up. I know I still have a couple months, but one of the ideas I had is best with warm weather.

Grilled Garlic Chicken

The weather outside was gorgeous today. It's March 7th and it was 65 degrees. Can you believe it? I'm pretty sure we were due for a mild winter after the past few we're had though.

Well, my husband, son and I just couldn't wait to get outside to take advantage of the spring weather - you know, before Mother Nature changes her mind and it disappears for a few more weeks. We played some soccer, had a blast with my son's new playhouse, and played a little outdoor hide and seek. After getting rid of some of that cabin fever (and glancing at the grill that's been cooped up in the garage) I decided to grill for dinner. I was planning on cooking up some chicken in the oven, but with weather this amazing, we just couldn't pass up the opportunity.